Unwanted Pesticide Disposal Programs see success

Events provided an opportunity to dispose of pesticides, free of charge up to 2,000 lbs

PUBLISHED ON January 2, 2019

The two programs, one held in Woodward in September 2018 and one held in Lawton in October 2018, gave pesticide applicators and dealers, homeowners, farmers, ranchers and gardeners the chance to dispose of pesticides – free of charge up to 2,000 pounds – and without the hassle associated with pesticide disposal. (USDA NRCS Montana, Flickr/Creative Commons)

OKLAHOMA CITY — Two Unwanted Pesticide Disposal Programs resulted in the combined disposal of just under 120,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides.

The two programs, one held in Woodward in September 2018 and one held in Lawton in October 2018, gave pesticide applicators and dealers, homeowners, farmers, ranchers and gardeners the chance to dispose of pesticides – free of charge up to 2,000 pounds – and without the hassle associated with pesticide disposal. The pesticides brought in were no longer usable – leftover, without labels or identifying information, or no longer registered in Oklahoma.

At the Woodward event, about 80 people brought in 79,000 pounds of product to be disposed, with many of those being old and outdated products. In Lawton, about 45 people brought in 37,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides, with many of those being homeowner products. Funded by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the program was designed to remove unusable pesticides from storage and reduce the potential threat to public health and the environment.

“Protecting our environment and natural resources are of the utmost importance,” said Ryan Williams, ODAFF pesticide certification and training administrator. “Events like these ensure safe and proper disposal of unwanted pesticides preventing them from potentially polluting our environment. Planning has already started for potential dates and locations in 2019.”

For more information about the events or future programs, contact Williams at ryan.williams@ag.ok.gov or 405-522-5993.